Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
[0001] Drop Down Window Blind With Unobstructed Window View
FIELD
[0002] There is described a drop down window blind that does not have a
window view
obstructed by cords.
BACKGROUND
[0003] With all conventional drop down window blinds, the view through
the window is
unavoidably obstructed by centrally positioned cords. Nien Made Enterprise Co
Ltd, the
manufacturer of Norman Window Fashions (U.S. Trademark Registration 3335709)
brand of
blinds, discloses one form of drop down window blind that provides a window
view that is
unobstructed by centrally positioned cords. There will hereinafter be
described an alternative
drop down window blind that will provides a window view unobstructed by
centrally
positioned cords.
SUMMARY
[0004] There is provided a drop down window blind which includes a first
member having
opposed ends and a second member having opposed ends. The second member is
disposed
on a common plane with the first member. A foldable blind substrate is
connected to the first
member and the second member. The blind substrate unfolds during relative
diverging
movement of the first member and the second member. The blind substrate folds
during
relative converging movement of the first member and the second member. A
drive housing
is provided which houses at least one first member drive unit. A first member
cord extends
from the at least one first member drive unit through each of the opposed ends
of the first
member. Rotation of the first member drive unit in a first rotational
direction decreases a
length of the first member cord to move the first member in a first vertical
direction and
rotation of the first member drive unit in a second rotational direction
increases a length of
the first member cord to move the first member in a second vertical direction.
[0005] In many applications, it is not only desirable to be able to raise and
lower the first
member, it is also desirable to raise and lower the second member. In such
situations, the
drive housing houses at least one second member drive unit. A second member
cord extends
from the at least one second member drive unit through each of the opposed
ends of the first
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member and down through the foldable blind substrate to the second member.
Rotation of
the second member drive unit in a first rotational direction decreases a
length of the second
member cord to move the second member in a first vertical direction. Rotation
of the second
member drive unit in a second rotational direction increases a length of the
second member
cord to move the second member in a second vertical direction.
[0006] There will hereinafter be described a number of different embodiments,
based upon
the fundamental principles set forth above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] These and other features will become more apparent from the
following
description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings
are for the
purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting,
wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view, in section, of a first
embodiment of window blind
having a first cord with anchored ends and a second cord with anchored ends.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view, in section, of a second
embodiment of window
blind having the anchored ends of the second cord crossed.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view, in section, of a third
embodiment of window blind
having a first cord in an endless loop and the second cord with anchored ends.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view, in section, of a fourth embodiment of
window
blind having the first cord in an endless loop and the anchored ends of the
second cord
crossed.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view, in section, of a fifth
embodiment of window blind
having a first cord with anchored ends and a second cord in an endless loop.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a front elevation view, in section, of a sixth embodiment
of window blind
having a first cord with anchored ends and a second cord in an endless loop
with the endless
loop crossing itself.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a front elevation view, in section, of a seventh
embodiment of window
blind having a first cord and a second cord in an endless loop.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a front elevation view, in section, of an eighth
embodiment of window
blind having a first cord in an endless loop and a second cord in an endless
loop with the
endless loop crossing itself.
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[0016] Figure 9 is a is a front elevation view, in section, of further
embodiments of
window blind having a first cord with anchored ends, a second cord with
anchored ends, a
magnetic coupling, and retainer means variations.
[0017] Figure 10 is a front elevation view, in section, of another
embodiment of the
present invention having pulls that may be hand manipulated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Related embodiments of drop down window blind will now be
described with
reference to FIG. 1 through FIG. 10.
Common Elements in most Embodiments
[0019] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 10, there will first be described
elements that are
common to most of the embodiments shown therein. Each variation has a first
member 12, a
second member 14 and a foldable blind substrate 16. First member has opposed
ends: first
end 18 and second end 20. Second member 14 has opposed ends: first end 22 and
second
end 24. Second member 14 is disposed on a common plane with first member 12.
What is
meant by common plane, is that second member can be on a common vertical
plane,
common horizontal plane or common angular plane depending upon the nature of
the
installation. Most windows would tend to have a vertical orientation. However,
skylights
may call for a horizontal or angular orientation.
[0020] Blind substrate 16 is connected to first member 12 and second
member 14. Blind
substrate 16 unfolds during relative diverging movement of first member 12 and
second
member 14. Blind substrate 16 folds during relative converging movement of
first member
12and the second member.
[0021] A drive housing 26 houses a first member drive unit 32. A first
member cord 30
extends from first member drive unit 32 through each of opposed ends 18 and 20
of first
member 12. Rotation of first member drive unit 32 in a first rotational
direction wraps cord
onto first member drive unit 32 and decreases a length of first member cord 30
to move the
first member 12 in a first direction. Rotation of first member drive unit 32
in a second
rotational direction unwraps cord from first member drive unit 32 increasing a
length of first
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member cord 30 to move first member 12 in a second direction.
[0022] Each embodiment of drop down window blind can function without similar
control being exerted over second member 14. However, commercial acceptance
typically
requires control over second member 14. For that reason, for each embodiment
drive
housing 26 also houses a second member drive unit 28. A second member cord 34
extends
from second member drive unit 28 through each of opposed ends 18 and 20 of
first member
12 and down through foldable blind substrate 16 to second member 14. Rotation
of second
member drive unit 28 in a first rotational direction wraps cord onto second
member drive unit
28 and decreases a length of second member cord 34 to move second member 14 in
a first
direction. Rotation of second member drive unit 28 in a second rotational
direction unwraps
cord from second member drive unit 28 and increases a length of second member
cord 34 to
move second member 14 in a second direction.
Embodiment 1 ¨FIG. 1
[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, a first end 40 of first member cord 30 enters
and is secured to
first end 18 of first member 12 and a second end 42 of first member cord 30
enters and is
secured to first end 20 of first member 12. A first end 44 of second member
cord 34 enters
first end 18 of first member 12, extends down through foldable blind substrate
16 and
attaches to second member 14 at a point spaced from first end 22. A second end
46 of second
member cord 34 enters second end 20 of first member 12, extends down through
the foldable
blind substrate 16 and attaches to second member 14 at a point spaced from
second end 24.
[0024] The above described embodiment 1, functions adequately. However, if
care was
not taken to configure each of the drive units to create an equal pull along
the right side and
left side, the first member or the second member can jam. A desire to address
this problem of
even pull to avoid jamming gave rise to the variations that will hereinafter
be further
described.
Embodiment 2¨ FIG. 2
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, the difference between what is illustrated in
embodiment 1
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and embodiment 2 is the "crossing" of second member cord 34. As with
embodiment 1, first
end 44 of second member cord 34 enters first end 18 of first member 12, and
extends down
through foldable blind substrate 16. However, first end 44 attaches to second
member 14 at a
point spaced from second end 24. Similarly, second end 46 of second member
cord 34
5 enters second end 20 of first member 12, extends down through foldable
blind substrate 16
and attaches to second member 14 at a point spaced from first end 22 of second
member 14.
It is to be noted that second member cord 34 entering first end 18 of first
member 12 is
secured to second end 24 of second member 14, while second member cord 34
entering
second end 20 of first member 12 is secured to first end 22 of second member
14. It is this
crossing that assists in creating an equal pull.
Embodiment 3 ¨ FIG. 3
[0026] Referring to FIG. 3, there is illustrated an embodiment that was
developed as an
alternative to the crossing approach described with respect to FIG. 2. In this
embodiment,
second member cord 34 forms an endless loop. There being no specific end
attachment
points, the pull forces are more evenly distributed.
Embodiment 4¨ FIG. 4
[0027] Referring to FIG. 4, embodiment 4 is an alternative to the teachings
of
embodiment 3 of FIG. 3. In this embodiment first member cord 30 forms an
endless loop,
while second member cord remains as shown in embodiment 1 of FIG. 1.
Embodiment 5 ¨ FIG. 5
[0028] Referring to FIG. 5, embodiment 5 has first member cord 30 in the form
of an
endless loop as shown in embodiment 4 of FIG. 4. Second member cord 34 is the
"crossed"
version as shown in embodiment 2 of FIG. 2.
Embodiment 6¨ FIG. 6
[0029] Referring to FIG. 6, embodiment 6 has first member cord 30 in the form
of an
endless loop as shown in embodiment 4 of FIG. 4. Second member cord 34 is also
in an
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endless loop as shown in embodiment 3 of FIG. 3.
Embodiment 7¨ FIG. 7
[0030] Referring to FIG. 7, embodiment 7 has first member cord 30 with ends 40
and 42
attached as previously described in relation to embodiment 1 of FIG. 1. Second
member cord
34 is again in an endless loop. However, a portion 36 of the endless loop
crosses over itself
in a combination of the endless loop of embodiment 3 of FIG. 3 and the
crossing of
embodiment 2 of FIG. 2. In this embodiment endless loop of second member cord
34 enters
first end 18 of first member 12, reaches a point spaced from second end 20 of
first member
12, extends down through foldable blind substrate 16 to second member 14 at a
point spaced
from second end 24 of second member 14 and then changes direction toward first
end 22 of
second member 14. Similarly, endless loop of second member cord 34 enters
second end 20
of first member 12, reaches a point spaced from first end 18 of first member
12, extends
down through foldable blind substrate 16 to second member 14 at a point spaced
from first
end 22 of second member 14 and then changes direction toward second end 24 of
second
member 14.
Embodiment 8 ¨ FIG. 8
[0031]
Referring to FIG. 8, embodiment 8 has first cord member 30 in an endless loop
as
previously described in relation to embodiment 4 of FIG. 4. Second cord member
34 is an
endless loop with a portion 36 of the endless loop that crosses over itself as
previously
described in relation to embodiment 7 of FIG. 7.
Further Embodiments ¨ FIG. 9
[0032] FIG. 9
shows two variations of an embodiment having the same general
configuration of cords as embodiment 1 described above and shown in FIG. 1,
plus a
mechanical link between the first member drive unit 32 and the second member
drive unit 28,
the mechanical link including a first member shaft 50, a second member shaft
52, and
interposed between the first member shaft 50 and the second member shaft 52, a
slip clutch
54.
I
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[0033] The slip clutch 54 is configured such that the first member shaft
50 and the
second member shaft 52 tend to rotate in a corresponding manner (i.e., at the
same speed and
in the same direction) so as to provide for similar corresponding movement of
the first
member 12 and the second member 14; unless there is a pre-selected
differential torsional
resistance as between the first member shaft 50 and the second member shaft
52, in which
event the slip clutch 54 slips, thus permitting differential relative movement
of the first
member shaft 50 and the second member shaft, thereby permitting differential
relative
movement of the first member 12 and the second member 14. In this way, a user
may move
the first member 12 and the second member 14 together while only touching one
or the other,
and a user may separately move the first member 12 and the second member 14 by
manipulating each independently.
[0034] FIG. 9 also shows two variations of a retainer means for impeding
movement of
the first member 12 away from the drive housing 26, so as to provide the pre-
selected
differential torsional resistance as between the first member shaft 50 and the
second member
shaft 52, to cause the slip clutch 54 to slip and permit the second member 14
to move away
from the first member 12. The two retainer means variations shown in FIG. 9
are: a pair of
retaining hooks 56 and a magnetic coupling 58. The retaining hooks 56 are J-
hooks, each
having the top of the J affixed to the drive housing 26 and the bottom of the
J (i.e. the hook)
configure to releasably interlock with an adjacent end of the first member 12.
Each retaining
hook 56 is resiliently flexible and is configured to release the first member
12 under
relatively minimal manual force applied to the first member 12 by a user. The
magnetic
coupling 58 comprises two magnets, or a magnet and a magnetic metal, each
affixed to a
respective one of the drive housing 26 and the first member 12 so as to resist
separation of the
drive housing 26 and the first member 12 in a manner akin to the retaining
hooks 56.
Other Embodiment ¨ FIG. 10
[0035] FIG. 10 discloses another embodiment having the same general
configuration of
cords as embodiment 1 described above and shown in FIG. 1, but having a first
pull 60
instead of a first member drive unit 32 and a second pull 62 instead of a
second member drive
unit 28, such that a user may independently move the first member 12 and
second member
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14, by manipulation of the first pull 60 and second pull 62, respectively.
Conclusion
[0036] Although embodiment 1 of FIG. 1 is a workable embodiment, the
window blinds
operate better if one of the other embodiments is used to assist in creating
equal pull along
the left side and the right side. As described, this can be done with a
"crossed" approach, an
endless loop approach, an endless loop that is crossed and various
combinations described
and illustrated above.
[0037] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-
limiting sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires
that there be one and only one of the elements.
[0038] The scope of the claims should not be limited by the illustrated
embodiments set
forth as examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent
with a purposive
construction of the claims in view of the description as a whole.
